When the ancient Polynesians invented surfing, they often used a paddle to help them navigate. Fast-forward a few millennia, and Stand-Up Paddleboarding, or SUP, finds itself trendy again. Part of its increasing popularity is that standing upright allows surfers to spot waves more easily and thus catch more of them, multiplying the fun factor. Paddling back to the wave becomes less of a strain as well. The ability to cruise along on flat inland water, surveying the sights, is another advantage. Finally, its a good core workout. If youre sold on the idea, schedule an intro SUP lesson, free with board and paddle rental, and you may find yourself riding the waves like a Polynesian king.More

Many of us remember coming home from our elementary schools with freshly glazed pinchpots, cups, or whatever else our young imaginations could conjure up. Saturday mornings at the Randall Museum can bring that memory back, or create a new one for the youngsters. Ceramics make great gifts — especially on Mothers' and Fathers' Day. Hop on board for the Randall's once-weekly class, and for $6 and two weeks to have your work fired and glazed, you'll have all the materials you need.More

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The hottest current thing in the world of tapioca drinks, a.k.a. boba tea (or, as Hillary Clinton recently called them when she tried one in New York, "chewy tea") isn't a crazy new flavor or new way to marinate the root starch balls — it's cotton candy!

Riff Raff

This Is How It Works After two years of booking local bands at the monthly "Fillmore Sessions," promoter Joe Paganelli finally sold out the old concert hall. The Jan. 17 show was headlined by Black Lab and supported by Stroke 9 and the Fingers. (The show had plenty of help from Live 105. The modern-rock radio station is playing Black Lab's "Wash It Away" every hour on the hour, proving that there does exist in the world something more grating than that Ben Folds Five song.) Onstage, the altrock hits pumped and the beefcake frontmen fronted, but the real action was going on behind the scenes. Representatives from at least 10 labels, including heavy hitters from Interscope, Universal, and Maverick, were reportedly sighted filing in and out of Stroke 9's dressing room. The band, a local four-piece led by the hunkalicious Luke Esterkyn, essays a radio-friendly chirp that could only be called pop-rock. (Local industry titter says that the L.A. types want "the next Third Eye Blind." Riff Raff wants to die.) The big-money boys' interest is being dealt with by Stoke 9 manager Tim O'Brien, who says that Universal, for one, has already made a "great" offer -- "multiple records, a very high back-end deal." In keeping with the rules of the monkey-see-monkey-do A&R world, at least eight other simians are howling. O'Brien says Stoke 9 will appease the beasts with a Feb. 3 Los Angeles showcase for "presidents of labels." "We really don't want a bidding war," says O'Brien. "Basically we are trying to find the right place." We wonder where that is. O'Brien assures us that despite what anyone says, Stroke 9 don't want to be the next Third Eye Blind or an overnight flash. "They don't want to be shoved down anyone's throats," he says. "You've got to realize that this is a band that has been together for eight years. They couldn't get gigs at the Boomerang at one point." (J.S.)

Stars of Tomorrow Now! Riff Raff knows sass sometimes wears a set of dimples and a cute smile. Thanks to a pair of photos that crossed our desk last week, Riff Raff now knows sass sometimes wears an ocelot hat and wields a harpoon. (See above.) Witness essence, the new lowercased and last-nameless singer/songwriter discovered by Way Cool Music A&R executive (and former Live 105 music director) Steve Masters. Says here she was signed on the strength of her "powerful songwriting" and "cool intensity." (J.S.)

Sort of Like an Anarchists Convention Mills College, the small Oakland school known for 40 years of supporting creative music, will offer four improvised music workshops open to the public. Mills prides itself on hiring cutting-edge faculty members (fringe jazzman Anthony Braxton once taught there) and providing a temporary home for innovative, iconoclastic guests. Usually, you have to be a tuition-paying student and even more (specifically, an M.F.A.) to play music with the masters. But beginning Feb. 2, Mills opens up to the kind of person who can't afford decades of student-loan paybacks. The guest artists/instructors include L.A. trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, one of the first players to articulate where the new generation of avant-gardists was going in the 1960s; Oakland saxophone colossus Glenn Spearman, a mentor to the Bay Area's improv scene; East Bay violinist India Cooke, fresh from her first record; and ingenious conductor/cornetist Butch Morris, who currently lives and tours in Europe (with occasional stints in NYC). The school offers the opportunity for musicians of any style to gain potentially awesome insight from the improv authorities. The prerequisites are pretty straightforward: You have to know how to play your instrument, but road-tested improv chops are not mandatory. Each workshop will meet twice a week for three weeks, with a public performance expected to cap each session. It's not cheap -- $200 per workshop -- but you can't put a price on this kind of hands-on experience. (Sam Prestianni)

Free Ink TicketWeb, the East Bay company using the Internet to knock down the ridiculous service charges extorted by the likes of Bass and TicketMaster, celebrates its two-year anniversary this weekend with -- what else? -- a concert. The Bottom of the Hill birthday party on Jan. 31 includes Imperial Teen, Scenic Vermont, and Itchy Kitty. An $8 cover benefits the Stop AIDS Project and the UCSF AIDS Health Project. (J.D.P.)

"We're not doin' it for the money. I'm doin' it for you people because I love you": Robert Arriaga (R.A.), Johnny DiPaola (J.D.P.), Karl D. Esturbense (K.D.E.), Jeff Stark (J.S.), Silke Tudor (S.T.), Heather Wisner (H.W.), and Bill Wyman (B.W.). Send Bay Area music news, band stories, or petty gripes to jstark@sfweekly.com, or mail it to Riff Raff, c/o SF Weekly.

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Sub Pop recording artists 'clipping.' brought their brand of noise-driven experimental hip hop to the closing night of 2016's San Francisco Electronic Music Fest this past Sunday. The packed Brava Theater hosted an initially seated crowd that ended the night jumping and dancing against the front of the stage. The trio performed a set focused on their recently released Sci-Fi Horror concept album, 'Splendor & Misery', then delved into their dancier and more aggressive back catalogue, and recent single 'Wriggle'.
Opening performances included local experimental electronic duo 'Tujurikkuja' and computer music artist 'Madalyn Merkey.'"